Network management platforms exist which permit a systems administrator to connect to a set of targets in a network, and perform maintenance and diagnostic activities on that group of managed machines. The network management platform can identify individual targets via a public key or other security credential, and identify the software provisioning requirements, obtain a hardware inventory, or perform other management tasks on validated machines. In general, existing network management platforms can be hosted on a central server or other facility that permits connection to, identification, and management of the set of targets and associated files and data.
In terms of the maintenance of machines populated on a network as well as the maintenance of the network on a comprehensive basis, systems administrators from time to time may need to take stock of individual machines and their associated data. Package management tools exist which permit an administrator or other user to examine a set of files which have been registered with that tool, and track that collection of data to identify updates and other changes. Existing package management tools are, however, not guaranteed to locate or be compatible with all types of data, storage media, or other parameters of a given network. A systems administrator or other user wishing to generate a comprehensive view or record of network file activity, including to create a record of files changes, may not be able to identify all desired files. Thus, there is a need in the art for methods and systems that provide comprehensive management of file management activity, regardless of whether those files are actively controlled by a package management tool.